Dispenser with stowable cover

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of similar size. The dispenser includes a housing having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls. The housing defines an interior volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to the housing and has a closed position for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including a stowed position in which the cover is opened, the cover is substantially flush with the housing and, except for the thickness of the cover, the cover does not extend substantially beyond the planes of the front wall and the side walls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a dispenser for smallobjects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of similarsize. In particular, the present invention relates to a dispenser havinga housing and a cover that can be opened to multiple different stableopened positions, including a stowed position in which the cover issubstantially flush with the housing and does not extend substantiallybeyond the boundaries of the housing.

[0003] 2. Related Background Art

[0004] Dispensers for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, andother objects of similar size are well known in the art. Such dispenserstake a variety of forms. For example, they may be formed of a hollowbody and a separately formed top portion, the top portion comprising aflat surface having an aperture and a closure element that allows accessto objects within the hollow body of the dispenser through the aperturewhen open, while securing objects within the hollow body when closed.Such dispensers may require lifting or pressing the closure element inorder to open the aperture. Examples of dispensers of these types can befound in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,538,731, 5,636,732, 4,144,985, 5,273,177 and4,095,712.

[0005] Other dispensers comprise box-like containers with lids thatslide open, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No. 407,972, lids that rotate open,e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,979,223, 5,709,305 and 5,718,347, or lids thatslide and rotate open, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,430. Still otherdispensers comprise box-like containers with drawers that slide out ofthe containers, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No. 400,006 and U.S. Pat. Nos.3,833,143, 3,888,350, 4,113,098 and 4,126,224. A number of thesedispensers include locking mechanisms to keep the dispenser securelyclosed, for example, to prevent young children from having access topills stored in the dispenser.

[0006] One problem of conventional dispensers such as those mentionedabove is that, while such dispensers are generally designed to becompact, they tend to lose their compact size when they are placed in afully opened position in order to dispense the contents. Thus, forexample, in dispensers having a drawer, the drawer may be virtually thesame size as the container, so that opening the drawer causes thedispenser to increase in size to up to twice its closed size. Indispensers having a lid, when the lid is opened the lid generallyprotrudes to a great extent, since the lid is often as wide or as longas one of the dimensions of the container.

[0007] While U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,469 discloses a tool box having a lidthat can be stored flat against the bottom of the box, in order to storethe lid in this fashion the lid must be disengaged from the box,inverted, and then reattached to the box. This is a cumbersome andinconvenient way of storing the lid and retaining the compact size ofthe opened box.

[0008] Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers is theinability to be opened into a plurality of different stable openedstates, which are stably open to different degrees so as to allowdifferent rates of dispensing. Thus some dispensers have only a singleopened state, e.g., a state designed for dispensing a small amount ofthe contents or a state designed for dispensing the entire contents, butdo not have both of these states or additional states which would allowfor multiple dispensing rates.

[0009] Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers isaccidental spillage. For example, some dispensers permit being openedonly to a wide open state, in which accidental spillage can easilyoccur. Relatedly, other dispensers allow for a plurality of openedstates whereby the dispenser can be opened to different degrees, but donot permit an opened state designed for dispensing only a small amountof the contents. Again, in some dispensers that allow for such aplurality of opened states, these states are not stable. That is, theuser may not be able to rely on the dispenser's remaining in aparticular (partly) opened state. Rather, the dispenser may easily, andwithout the user so intending, open itself to a wider opened state,which may cause the contents to spill out against the user's wishes. Inaddition, some conventional dispensers, especially those with lockingmechanisms, such as childproof dispensers, require a significant amountof force to open them. When using such a dispenser, the user can easilyunintentionally cause the dispenser to suddenly open to a state that isopened to a greater extent than desired, which can easily causeaccidental spillage of the contents.

[0010] Another problem with conventional dispensers is the presence ofprotrusions, rough edges, sharp points or the like, which can snag ortear a user's clothing or scratch a user's hand. Such hindrances tend tobe present especially when the dispensers are placed in an opened state,because in this state the door, flap, closure element, or the like,which often has a surface that is rough or jagged, generally protrudesfrom the dispenser and hangs free.

[0011] The present invention provides a dispenser that solves the aboveproblems, as explained below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is directed to a dispenser for storing anddispensing small objects, comprising a housing including a bottom, afront wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls, the housingdefining an interior volume and an aperture providing access to theinterior volume. A cover is movably attached to the housing and has aclosed position for securing objects within the interior volume and atleast one opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objectsfrom the interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flangesare functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of thehousing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to thehousing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, andmovable into the closed and opened positions including a stowed positionin which the cover is opened and the cover is substantially flush withthe housing.

[0013] Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to adispenser for storing and dispensing small objects, comprising a housingincluding a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing sidewalls, the housing defining an interior volume and an aperture providingaccess to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to thehousing and has a closed position for securing objects within theinterior volume and at least one opened position for displaying and/ordispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges depend fromthe cover. The flanges are functionally engaged respectively with thesides walls of the housing such that the cover is laterally movable withrespect to the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined inthe housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions includinga stowed position in which the cover is opened and in which the coverdoes not extend substantially beyond planes of the front wall and theside walls.

[0014] Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to adispenser as in the previous embodiment wherein, when the cover is inthe stowed position, the cover also does not extend substantially beyondthe plane of the rear wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIGS. 1A-1E are top perspective views of a dispenser of theinvention. In particular, FIG. 1A shows a cover of the dispenser in thefully closed position. FIG. 1B shows the cover in a first openedposition. FIG. 1C shows the cover rotating. FIG. 1D shows the cover in afully opened position. FIG. 1E shows the cover in a fully opened andstowed position.

[0016] FIGS. 2A-2E are bottom perspective views of a dispenser of theinvention, showing the cover of the dispenser in the same positions asshown in FIGS. 1A-1E, respectively.

[0017] FIGS. 3A-3E are sequential schematic illustrations of therelative movement and cooperative relationship between the components ofa dispenser of the invention. In these figures, the positions of thecover correspond respectively to those of FIGS. 1A-1E and 2A-2E.

[0018]FIG. 4 illustrates, from the underside, a cover of a dispenser ofthe invention disengaged from a housing.

[0019]FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views showing, when viewed from theinterior or underside, the upper portion of the housing and portions ofthe cover visible through the aperture of the housing or around theedges of the upper portion of the housing. FIG. 5A shows the cover in afully closed position, for illustrating the operation of stops instopping the cover from moving beyond the front wall of the housing andthe operation of the catch in locking the cover in the fully closedposition. FIG. 5B shows the cover in a first stable opened position, forillustrating the operation of a rib in stabilizing the cover in thefirst stable opened position and in facilitating the shift in movementof the cover from sliding to rotating.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a housing of a dispenser ofthe invention in an opened or unassembled state.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the cover of FIG. 4 isengaged with the housing of FIG. 6, when the housing of FIG. 6 is in aclosed or assembled state.

[0022]FIG. 8 is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment of theinvention in which the cover is fully stowed underneath the housing inan opened position, whereby the cover does not extend beyond theboundaries of the housing.

[0023] FIGS. 9A-9C are schematic views for illustrating an embodiment ofthe invention in which the dispenser is formed more in the shape of acube and additional grooves are provided in the side walls of thehousing, whereby the cover is stowed flush against the rear wall of thehousing rather than against the bottom of the housing.

[0024]FIG. 10 is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment of theinvention in which grooves are provided on extended flanges of the coverand projections engaging the grooves are provided at the rear of theside walls of the housing.

[0025] FIGS. 11A-11F are perspective views for illustrating anembodiment of the invention in which flanges of the cover hang down onthe inside of the side walls of the housing, and grooves are formed onthe inside of the side walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The present invention is directed to a dispenser for smallobjects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects having asimilar size. As used herein the term “small objects” refers to piecesof candy, pills, tablets, and any other object having a similar sizethat may be stored in and dispensed from the dispenser of the invention.

[0027] First Embodiment

[0028] A first embodiment of the invention, with modifications, will nowbe described.

[0029] A dispenser in accordance with the invention is generallyillustrated in FIGS. 1A-1E, 2A-2E and 3A-3E. FIGS. 1A-1E show thedispenser in a top perspective view, with the cover in differentpositions from fully closed to fully opened and stowed. FIGS. 2A-2E showthe dispenser in a bottom perspective view, with the cover in the samepositions as shown in FIGS. 1A-1E. FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate schematicviews of the relative movement and cooperative relationship between thecomponents of the dispenser, with the cover in the same positions asshown in FIGS. 1A-1E. Dispenser 10 comprises a housing 11, a dispensingaperture 12 in housing 11, an interior volume 13 within housing 11, anda cover 14 removably and selectively movably attached to housing 11.Dispenser 10 is designed to hold and dispense candy or other smallobjects, such objects being visible in FIGS. 1B-1E. Cover 14 has a fullyclosed position, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3A, and multipledispensing and displaying positions, selectively illustrated in FIGS.1B-1E, 2B-2E and 3B-3E.

[0030] In this illustrated embodiment, dispenser 10 has a preferredshape of ergonomic curvature, although it will be readily appreciatedthat the shape may be altered. Housing 11 has a top 15, a bottom 16, afront wall 17, a rear wall 18, and parallel side walls 19. Bottom 16,rear wall 18, and side walls 19 are roughly planar, although withsmoothed or rounded edges. Top 15 and front 17 are gently curved, alsowith smoothed or rounded edges. Top 15 is partly cut-out. Each of thetwo side walls 19 has a groove 20 provided therein.

[0031] Cover 14 comprises a front tab portion 21, a rear flap portion22, and two side flanges 23 each overlapping a side wall 19 of housing11. Each side flange 23 has a projection 24 provided therein facing sidewalls 19. Projections 24 fit into grooves 20 in side walls 19 such thatcover 14 can slide back and forth along grooves 20. As shown, forexample, in FIG. 3A, when cover 14 is slid forward, projections 24 aremoved in grooves 20 in the direction of front wall 17. As shown, forexample, in FIG. 3B, when cover 14 is slid backward, projections 24 aremoved in grooves 20 in the direction of rear wall 18.

[0032] In addition to sliding, cover 14 can also be partly rotated aboutpivotal axis A when cover 14 is slid sufficiently rearward along grooves20, as illustrated in FIGS. 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D, 3C and 3D. As shown in FIGS.3A-3E and also by the dotted line in FIG. 5B, pivotal axis A is definedby the line joining the center points of projections 24 when projections24 are at the rearmost position in grooves 20. Thus, pivotal axis A isparallel to planes including top 15, bottom 16, front wall 17, and rearwall 18, and pivotal axis A is perpendicular to side walls 19. As shownin FIG. 3A, if cover 14 is not slid sufficiently rearward along grooves20, then rear flap portion 22 of cover 14 is blocked by top 15 ofhousing 11, and cover 14 will not be able to rotate about pivotal axisA. Only when cover 14 is slid sufficiently rearward, as shown in FIG.3B, can rear flap portion 22 of cover 14 clear rear wall 18 of housing11, such that cover 14 may be rotated, as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D.

[0033] Thus, cover 14 can be positioned in a closed position (e.g. FIGS.1A, 2A and 3A) or in any one of a plurality of opened positions (e.g.FIGS. 1B-1E, 2B-2E and 3B-3E). The closed position and at least some ofthe opened positions are stable positions such that, once the cover 14is placed in such a position by the user, cover 14 will not easily slideout of the position of its own accord without the application ofintentional force from the user. A first stable opened position is shownin FIGS. 1B, 2B and 3B. In this position, the cover is opened a smallamount. This position is designed for dispensing or displaying singleobjects or small amounts of objects from the dispenser. A second stableopened position is shown in FIGS. 1E, 2E and 3E. In this position, thecover is fully opened and also stowed beneath the housing. This positionis designed for dispensing or displaying large amounts of the objects inthe dispenser. Because the dispenser allows for a plurality of openedpositions, the convenience with which the dispenser may be used and thenumber of ways in which the dispenser may be used is increased. Inaddition, accidental spillage of the contents of the dispenser isavoidable because the dispenser admits of a stable opened positiondesigned for dispensing single objects or small amounts of objects fromthe dispenser.

[0034] Moreover, since, as explained, cover 14 cannot be rotated untilit is slid sufficiently rearward in grooves 20, cover 14 cannot be moveddirectly, that is, in a single, uninterrupted motion, from a completelyclosed position (e.g. FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A) to a completely openedposition (e.g. FIGS. 1D, 1E, 2D, 2E, 3D and 3E). This too preventsaccidental spillage of the contents of the dispenser, precluding thedispenser from being suddenly—and without the user's intention—opened toa wide opened position.

[0035] After rotation about pivotal axis A, cover 14 may be again slidalong grooves 20. Specifically, cover 14 may now be slid along grooves20 so as to be stowed underneath housing 11, while dispenser 10 remainsin a fully opened position. In the stowed position (FIGS. 1E, 2E and3E), cover 14 is substantially flush with housing 11 and (except for theslight thickness of cover 14 itself) does not extend substantiallybeyond the boundaries of housing 11, i.e., beyond top 15, bottom 16,front wall 17, rear wall 18, and side walls 19, except for a smallportion of cover 14 which extends beyond rear wall 18. In the stowedposition, cover 14 is relatively unobtrusive and removed from view, andthe dispenser as a whole retains its compact size. In this position,virtually the entire contents of dispenser 10 may be displayed andobjects may easily be dispensed from dispenser 10 at a high dispensingrate. In addition, in this position, the exterior surfaces of dispenser10 become almost as smoothed all over as they are when cover 14 is inthe fully closed position (FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A). That is, when cover 14is in the fully opened and stowed position, as when cover 14 is in thefully closed position, the totality of exterior surfaces of dispenser 10is relatively free of projections, rough edges, sharp corners, or thelike, which could get caught in or snag a user's clothing or scratch auser's body.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, cover 14 may also have one ormore stops 25 provided on the underside of cover 14, a catch 26 on aleading edge of cover 14 (here shown on the leading edge of front tabportion 21), and a rib 27 on the underside of cover 14 toward the rearof cover 14. Stops 25 serve to stop cover 14 from sliding furtherforward when cover 14 has reached the fully closed position. Catch 26serves to prevent cover 14 from opening (sliding backward) accidentallyfrom a closed position, which could cause unwanted spillage. If catch 26is provided, then cover 14 is lifted slightly to begin rearward slidingmotion of cover 14 to open dispenser 10. Rib 27 serves to keep cover 14from accidentally sliding backward, and hence to keep cover 14 fixed inposition, when cover 14 is in the first stable opened position discussedabove and illustrated in FIGS. 1B, 2B and 3B. Rib 27 also facilitatesthe rotation of cover 14, helping to stop cover 14 from continuing toslide backward and helping to translate the user's application of forceto slide cover 14 rearward into a force acting to shift cover 14 upwardso as to rotate cover 14.

[0037] The formation of dispenser 10 will now be discussed withreference to FIGS. 4, 6 and 7.

[0038] Housing 11 may be formed from a single piece of flexible materialby, e.g., vacuum molding, injection molding, or blow molding. As shownin FIG. 6, housing 11 is preferably formed as a single piece comprisingan upper portion 28 and a lower portion 29 joined by a living hinge 30.However, housing 11 can be formed as multiple pieces that are moldedseparately, and attached one to the other by any means known in the art,such as, e.g., a hinge comprising a pin that allows two pieces to berotatably connected.

[0039] With housing 11 formed in the preferable manner identified,dispenser 10 may be filled either by opening housing 11 into its twocomponent portions, as shown in FIG. 6, or by opening cover 14, asdiscussed above. Forming housing 11 as two connected portions alsofacilitates cleaning the interior of housing 11.

[0040]FIG. 4 shows cover 14 by itself, and FIG. 7 shows how cover 14 andhousing 11 may be assembled together. Front tab portion 21, rear flapportion 22 and flanges 23 of cover 14 are preferably not separatelyformed elements, but formed simply as integral sections of cover 14,whereby front tab portion 21, rear flap portion 22, flanges 23 and theremainder of cover 14 constitute one continuous, smooth-surfaced member.However, these elements could be formed as separate pieces attached byany means known in the art.

[0041] As seen in FIG. 7, flanges 23 may be formed of materialsufficiently flexible that a user may pull them outward from side walls19, disengaging projections 24 from grooves 20, so that cover 14 may beremoved entirely from housing 11, and later snapped back on. Of course,flanges 23 should be formed of a material sufficiently resilient, and/orgrooves 20 should be sufficiently deep and projections 24 sufficientlylong, that when cover 14 is engaged with housing 11, there is no dangerof cover 14 accidentally coming apart from housing 11.

[0042] Housing 11, cover 14 and all of their component parts may beformed from any appropriate material, such as, e.g., polystyrene,polyvinyl chloride, or polypropylene. To allow viewing of the contents,housing 11 and/or cover 14 may be formed from a clear plastic, such as,e.g., polystyrene or clarified polypropylene.

[0043] Other Embodiments

[0044]FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the dispenser of the invention.In the preceding embodiment, cover 14 is only partly stowed underhousing 11, in the sense that a small portion of cover 14 includingfront tab 21 extends beyond the boundaries of housing 11, specifically,beyond the plane of rear wall 18. In the present embodiment, cover 14may be fully stowed, in the sense that cover 14 does not extend beyondthe boundaries of housing 11. Specifically, in the present embodiment,grooves 20 are made longer. That is, grooves 20 are formed so as toextend farther toward front wall 17. This allows cover 14, afterrotation, to be slid along grooves 20 farther in the direction of frontwall 17, so that cover 14 no longer extends beyond rear wall 18. Inaddition, in this embodiment, rear flap 22 of cover 14 is made slightlyshorter so that, when cover 14 is thus slid farther along grooves 20toward front wall 17, into the fully stowed position, rear flap 22 doesnot extend beyond the plane of front wall 17. In this way, cover 14 maybe stowed such that it does not extend beyond the boundaries of housing11. It is noted that extending grooves 20 in the direction of front wall17 does not pose a problem of allowing cover 14 to be slid too farforward when the user is placing cover 14 in the closed position,because stops 25 prevent cover 14 from being slid too far forward, asshown in FIG. 5A.

[0045] FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate another embodiment of the dispenser of theinvention. In this embodiment, cover 14 is stowed flush against rearwall 18 rather than against bottom 16, as in the previous embodiments.This is achieved by forming dispenser 10 more in the shape of a cube andextending grooves 20 in side walls 19. Specifically, at the rearmostpoints of grooves 20, grooves 20 are extended, at a 90 degree angle, inthe direction of bottom 16. In this arrangement, when cover 14 is slidback in grooves 20, cover 14 is rotated only 90 degrees, and is thenslid downward in the direction of bottom 16 along the extended portionsof grooves 20. In this way, cover 14 may be stowed flush against rearwall 18 rather than against bottom 16.

[0046]FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the dispenser of theinvention. In this embodiment, the position of grooves 20 andprojections 24 are reversed. That is, grooves 20 are formed in cover 14,and projections 24 are formed on housing 11. In order to achieve this,flanges 23 of cover 14 are formed in a longer, rectangular shape so asto accommodate grooves 20. Projections 24 are provided at the rear ofside walls 19 of housing 11.

[0047] FIGS. 11A-11F show another embodiment of the dispenser of theinvention. In this embodiment, side flanges 23 hang down on the interiorof side walls 19 of housing 11, rather than on the exterior. Inaddition, grooves 20 are formed on the interior of side walls 19 ratheron the exterior. Each side flange 23 has a projection 24 providedtherein facing a respective side wall 19, and projections 24 fit intogrooves 20 such that cover 14 can slide back and forth along grooves 20.Continuous slots may be formed in top 15, rear wall 18 and bottom 16, asnecessary to allow cover 14 to rotate as in the first embodiment.

[0048] This invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed hereinand it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodimentsmay be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intendedthat the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodimentsthat fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser for storing and dispensing smallobjects, comprising: a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rearwall and two opposing side walls, said housing defining an interiorvolume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume; a covermovably attached to said housing and having a closed position forsecuring objects within the interior volume and at least one openedposition for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interiorvolume; and two flanges depending from said cover, said flanges beingfunctionally engaged respectively with said sides walls of said housingsuch that said cover is laterally movable with respect to said housing,selectively rotatable about an axis defined in said housing, and movableinto the closed and opened positions including a stowed position inwhich said cover is opened and said cover is substantially flush withsaid housing.
 2. A dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects,comprising: a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall andtwo opposing side walls, said housing defining an interior volume and anaperture providing access to the interior volume; a cover movablyattached to said housing and having a closed position for securingobjects within the interior volume and at least one opened position fordisplaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume; andtwo flanges depending from said cover, said flanges being functionallyengaged respectively with said sides walls of said housing such thatsaid cover is laterally movable with respect to said housing,selectively rotatable about an axis defined in said housing, and movableinto the closed and opened positions including a stowed position inwhich said cover is opened and in which said cover does not extendsubstantially beyond planes of said front wall and said side walls.
 3. Adispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cover does not extendsubstantially beyond a plane of said rear wall when said cover is in thestowed position.
 4. A dispenser for storing and dispensing smallobjects, comprising: a housing, defining an interior volume and anaperture providing access to the interior volume; a cover, movablyattached to said housing and having a closed position for securingobjects within the interior volume and at least one opened position fordisplaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume; andmoving means for moving said cover laterally with respect to saidhousing, rotating said cover selectively about an axis defined in saidhousing, and moving said cover into the closed and opened positionsincluding a stowed position in which said cover is opened, said cover issubstantially flush with said housing and, except for a thickness ofsaid cover, said cover extends only partially beyond boundaries of saidhousing or said cover does not extend substantially beyond theboundaries of said housing.
 5. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1to 3, further comprising a groove provided on each of said side walls ofsaid housing and a projection provided on each of said flanges, wherebysaid grooves and said projections are engagable with each other so as toallow said cover and said housing to selectively slide and rotaterelative to one another.
 6. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to3, further comprising a groove provided on each of said flanges and aprojection provided on each of said side walls of said housing, wherebysaid grooves and said projections are engagable with each other so as toallow said cover and said housing to selectively slide and rotaterelative to one another.
 7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, whereineach of said grooves has a front end and an aft end, and the axis isdefined by center points of said projections when said projections areat the aft ends of said grooves, respectively; and wherein said housingfurther comprises a top, and said cover and said top partially overlapsuch that, when said cover is in the closed position, said cover andsaid housing cannot be rotated relative to one another until said coveris slid to a rearmost position in which said projections have slid tosaid aft ends of said grooves, respectively, whereby said cover may bemoved into the stowed position by first sliding said cover to therearmost position, then rotating said cover about the axis to invertsaid cover, and then sliding said cover forward.
 8. A dispenser asclaimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when said cover is in thestowed position, said cover is substantially flush with said bottom ofsaid housing.
 9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein said groovesare substantially L-shaped such that, when said cover is in the stowedposition, said cover is substantially flush with said rear wall of saidhousing.
 10. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, furthercomprising a rib disposed on said cover and functionally engagable withsaid housing, whereby said cover can be placed in a plurality ofdifferent stable opened positions in which the objects may be dispensedfrom said dispenser, the different stable opened positions being fixedpositions of said cover and being positions in which said cover isopened to different degrees, thereby allowing the objects to bedispensed at different dispensing rates.
 11. A dispenser as claimed inany of claims 1 to 4, wherein said cover is removably attached to saidhousing.
 12. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, whereinsaid dispenser further comprises a locking means for locking said coverin a closed position.
 13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12, whereinsaid locking means comprises a releasable catch provided on said cover.